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they allow themselves to be destroyed by hunger. Not these only, but also the heretics are outside 58.485 of this beatitude. For they do not bring forth things new and old. For they do not have the old, which is why they do not have the new; so then, those who do not have the new, do not have the old either, but are deprived of both; for these are bound and intertwined with each other. Let us hear, therefore, as many of us as neglect the reading of the Scriptures, how great a harm we endure, how great a poverty. For when shall we take hold of the life of works, we who do not even know the very laws by which we ought to live? But the rich, those who are mad for money, continually shake out their garments, so that they might not become moth-eaten; but you, seeing forgetfulness, worse than a moth, destroying your soul, do you not read books, do you not drive away the destruction, do you not beautify your soul, do you not continually gaze upon the image of virtue, and study its members and its head? For it has both a head, and members more comely than any well-formed and beautiful body. What then is the head, you say, of virtue? Humility. Therefore Christ also begins from it, saying: Blessed are the poor. This head does not have hair and curls, but such beauty as to draw God to it. For upon whom shall I look, He says, but upon the meek and humble, and who trembles at my words? And, My eyes are upon the meek of the earth. And, The Lord is near to the contrite of heart. This head, instead of hair and locks, bears sacrifices pleasing to God. It is a golden altar, and a spiritual place of sacrifice; For a sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit. This is the mother of wisdom. If one has this, he will have the rest as well. Have you seen a head such as you have never seen? Do you wish to see its face also, or rather to learn of it? Therefore, learn for now its color, ruddy and blooming and having much grace, and learn from where it is composed. From where then is it composed? From being ashamed and blushing. Wherefore one also says: Before a modest person grace shall go forth. This also pours much beauty over the other members. Even if you should mix ten thousand colors, you would not produce such beauty. And if you wish to see the eyes, behold them outlined with exactness in modesty and sobriety. Wherefore they also become so beautiful and keen-sighted, as to see the Lord Himself. For blessed, He says, are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. And its mouth, wisdom and understanding, and to know spiritual hymns. And heart, experience of the Scriptures, and the preservation of exact doctrines, and love for mankind, and kindness. And just as without this one cannot live, so neither without that can one ever be saved. For from there all good things are born. It also has feet and hands, the demonstrations of good works; it also has a soul, piety; it also has a breast of gold and stronger than adamant, courage; and it is easier for all things to be captured than for this breast to be broken. And the spirit in the brain and heart, is love. 4. Do you wish me to show you the image in its very works? Consider for me this evangelist himself; and yet we do not have his whole life written down, but nevertheless even from a few things it is possible to see his image shining brightly. That he was humble and contrite, hear him calling himself a tax collector after the Gospel; and that he was merciful, see him having stripped himself of everything 58.486 and having followed Jesus; and that he was pious, is clear from the doctrines. And it is easy to see his understanding from the Gospel he composed, and his love; for he took care for the whole world; and the demonstration of good works from the throne upon which he is to be seated; and his courage, from how he returned rejoicing from the presence of the Sanhedrin. Let us therefore emulate this virtue, and especially of all things, humility and mercy, without which it is not possible to be saved. And the five virgins show this, and with them the Pharisee. For it is possible to see without virginity; but without mercy it is impossible; for this is of the necessary things and

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περιορῶσι ἑαυτοὺς λιμῷ φθειρομένους. Οὐχ οὗτοι δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ αἱρετικοὶ ἐκτός 58.485 εἰσι τοῦ μακαρισμοῦ τούτου. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκβάλλουσι καινὰ καὶ παλαιά. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχουσι τὰ παλαιὰ, διὸ οὐδὲ καινά· ὥσπερ οὖν οἱ καινὰ οὐκ ἔχοντες, οὐδὲ παλαιὰ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ' ἑκατέρων ἐστέρηνται· ταῦτα γὰρ ἀλλήλοις συνδέδεται καὶ συμπλέκεται. Ἀκούσωμεν τοίνυν ὅσοι τῆς τῶν Γραφῶν ἀμελοῦμεν ἀναγνώσεως, ὅσην ὑπομένομεν βλάβην, ὅσην πενίαν. Πότε γὰρ τῆς διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιληψόμεθα πολιτείας, οἱ μηδὲ αὐτοὺς τοὺς νόμους εἰδότες καθ' οὓς πολιτεύεσθαι χρή; Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν πλουτοῦντες, οἱ περὶ χρήματα μεμηνότες, συνεχῶς τινάσσουσιν αὐτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια, ὥστε μὴ σητόβρωτα γενέσθαι· σὺ δὲ σητὸς χαλεπώτερον ὁρῶν τὴν λήθην λυμαινομένην σου τὴν ψυχὴν, οὐκ ἐντυγχάνεις βιβλίοις, οὐ διακρούῃ τὴν λύμην, οὐ καλλωπίζεις σου τὴν ψυχὴν, οὐκ ἐπισκοπεῖς συνεχῶς τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς ἀρετῆς, καὶ τὰ μέλη αὐτῆς καταμανθάνεις καὶ τὴν κεφαλήν; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ κεφαλὴν ἔχει, καὶ μέλη παντὸς σώματος εὐειδοῦς καὶ καλοῦ εὐπρεπέστερα. Τίς οὖν ἡ κεφαλὴ, φησὶ, τῆς ἀρετῆς; Ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἄρχεται ὁ Χριστὸς λέγων· Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί. Αὕτη ἡ κεφαλὴ οὐ κόμας ἔχει καὶ βοστρύχους, ἀλλὰ κάλλος τοιοῦτον, οἷον τὸν Θεὸν ἐπισπάσασθαι. Ἐπὶ τίνα γὰρ ἐπιβλέψω, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν πρᾶον καὶ ταπεινὸν, καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους; Καὶ, Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ἐπὶ τοὺς πραεῖς τῆς γῆς. Καὶ, Ἐγγὺς Κύριος τοῖς συντετριμμένοις τὴν καρδίαν. Αὕτη ἡ κεφαλὴ, ἀντὶ τριχῶν καὶ κόμης, θύματα φέρει τῷ Θεῷ κεχαρισμένα. Βωμός ἐστι χρυσοῦς, καὶ θυσιαστήριον πνευματικόν· Θυσία γὰρ τῷ Θεῷ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον. Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ τῆς σοφίας μήτηρ. Ἂν ταύτην ἔχῃ τις, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἕξει. Εἶδες κεφαλὴν, οἵαν οὐδέποτε εἶδες; Βούλει καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον ἰδεῖν, μᾶλλον δὲ μαθεῖν; Οὐκοῦν μάθε τέως αὐτοῦ τὸ χρῶμα τὸ ἐρυθρὸν καὶ εὐανθὲς καὶ πολλὴν ἔχον τὴν χάριν, καὶ μάθε πόθεν συνίσταται. Πόθεν οὖν συνίσταται; Ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰσχύνεσθαι καὶ ἐρυθριᾷν. ∆ιὸ καί τίς φησι· Πρὸ αἰσχυντηροῦ προελεύσεται χάρις. Τοῦτο καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μελῶν πολὺ καταχεῖ τὸ κάλλος. Κἂν μυρία μίξῃς χρώματα, οὐκ ἐργάσῃ τοιαύτην ὥραν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἰδεῖν βούλει, ὅρα κοσμιότητι καὶ σωφροσύνῃ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ὑπογεγραμμένους. ∆ιὸ καὶ οὕτω καλοὶ καὶ ὀξυδερκεῖς γίνονται, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Κύριον ὁρᾷν. Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται. Στόμα δὲ αὐτῆς, σοφία καὶ σύνεσις, καὶ τὸ πνευματικοὺς ὕμνους εἰδέναι. Καρδία δὲ, Γραφῶν ἐμπειρία, καὶ δογμάτων ἀκριβῶν διατήρησις, καὶ φιλανθρωπία, καὶ χρηστότης. Καὶ καθάπερ ταύτης ἄνευ οὐκ ἔνι ζῆσαι, οὐδὲ ἐκείνης χωρὶς σωθῆναι ἔνι ποτέ. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν πάντα τίκτεται τὰ καλά. Εἰσὶν αὐτῇ καὶ πόδες καὶ χεῖρες, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων αἱ ἐπιδείξεις· ἔστιν αὐτῇ καὶ ψυχὴ, ἡ εὐσέβεια· ἔστιν αὐτῇ καὶ στῆθος χρυσοῦν καὶ ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥότερον, ἡ ἀνδρεία· καὶ πάντα ἁλῶναι εὔκολον, ἢ τοῦτο διαῤῥαγῆναι τὸ στῆθος. Τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐν ἐγκεφάλῳ καὶ καρδίᾳ, ἡ ἀγάπη ἐστί. δʹ. Βούλει καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων δείξω σοι τὴν εἰκόνα; Ἐννόησόν μοι τοῦτον αὐτὸν τὸν εὐαγγελιστήν· καίτοι οὐ πάντα αὐτοῦ τὸν βίον ἀνάγραπτον ἔχομεν, ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐξ ὀλίγων ἔνεστιν αὐτοῦ τὴν εἰκόνα ἰδεῖν διαλάμπουσαν. Ὅτι μὲν ταπεινὸς καὶ συντετριμμένος ἦν, ἄκουσον μετὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τελώνην ἑαυτὸν καλοῦντα· ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἐλεήμων, ὅρα πάντα ἀποδυσάμε 58.486 νον καὶ ἀκολουθήσαντα τῷ Ἰησοῦ· ὅτι δὲ καὶ εὐσεβὴς, δῆλον ἀπὸ τῶν δογμάτων. Καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀφ' οὗ συνέθηκεν Εὐαγγελίου ῥᾴδιον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην· τῆς γὰρ οἰκουμένης ἐπεμελήσατο· καὶ τὴν τῶν ἔργων τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπίδειξιν ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου ἐφ' οὗ μέλλει καθεδεῖσθαι· καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν δὲ, ἐξ ὧν χαίρων ὑπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ συνεδρίου. Ζηλώσωμεν τοίνυν τὴν ἀρετὴν ταύτην, καὶ μάλιστα πάντων τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην, ὧν ἄνευ σωθῆναι οὐκ ἔνι. Καὶ δηλοῦσιν αἱ πέντε παρθένοι, καὶ μετ' ἐκείνων ὁ Φαρισαῖος. Χωρὶς μὲν γὰρ παρθενίας δυνατὸν ἰδεῖν· χωρὶς δὲ ἐλεημοσύνης ἀμήχανον· τῶν γὰρ ἀναγκαίων τοῦτό ἐστι καὶ